Band bending and adsorption/desorption kinetics on N-polar GaN surfaces

Highly reactive N-polar [000-1] GaN surfaces were analyzed using spectroscopic ellipsometry. Following exposure to air, observed changes in the pseudodielectric function near the GaN band edge indicate that surface contamination reduces the band bending. A subsequent Ga adsorption/desorption experiment on pristine N-polar GaN indicates that it contains a mixture of Ga-terminated and N-terminated surfaces. During deposition, Ga adatoms preferentially bond to the dangling bonds on the N-terminated surface: the measured 3.19 eV desorption activation energy equals the Ga-N decomposition energy. Further deposition forms a 1 ML Ga wetting layer whose 2.78 eV desorption activation energy is comparable to the Ga sublimation energy. © 2009 American Vacuum Society.

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Author April S. Brown Electrical and Computer Engineering